1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer device, especially a compactly made printer device, that performs printing of letters and marks on a print object sheet by using a hot release type thermal transfer ribbon tape and a line thermal head.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, as an information of packaged goods indicated on a packaging material, there are often cases where letters and marks, such as date of manufacture, tastable time period, series number of manufacture, etc. are printed differently for each object sheet to be printed (herein referred to as a print object sheet). In such cases, the printing is often done by using a hot release type thermal transfer ribbon tape and a line thermal head.
As the printing is carried out in the manufacturing process of the packaged goods, that is, for example, in the process to package the goods, the printer device used therefor is required to be made smaller in size so as to be easily fitted without obstruction in the space of machine arrangement of the packaged goods manufacturing apparatus. In addition to this, the printer device is required to be of a simplified construction, because the printer device, as a device not directly taking part in the manufacture itself of the packaged goods, is strongly desired to be made less costly.
A line thermal head printer device comprises a line thermal head, a ribbon tape unwinding drive shaft supporting a reel of a hot release type thermal transfer ribbon tape and unwinding the ribbon tape to be fed, a ribbon tape winding drive shaft winding the ribbon tape after it has been unwound and used for the printing, a stepping motor rotationally driving these drive shafts and a guide roll guiding the ribbon tape so that the ribbon tape, after unwound, is again wound up. The arrangement of these parts and components gives a large influence on the size of the printer device.
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a constructional example of a prior art line thermal head printer device. In FIG. 5, numeral 41 designates the ribbon tape unwinding drive shaft and numeral 42 the ribbon tape winding drive shaft. Numeral 44 designates a feed shaft and numeral 45 a pinch roll. Thereby, a nip for feeding a ribbon tape 43 is formed between the feed shaft 44 and the pinch roll 45. Numeral 47 designates the line thermal head and numeral 48 a platen roll. All these parts and components are arranged on, and fitted to, a frame plate 52.
A ribbon tape unwinding reel of a ribbon tape master roll 46 is coaxially fitted to the ribbon tape unwinding drive shaft 41 so that the ribbon tape master roll 46 is supported by the ribbon tape unwinding drive shaft 41 and the ribbon tape 43 is unwound from the ribbon tape master roll 46. The ribbon tape 43 unwound from the ribbon tape master roll 46 is fed by the feed shaft 44 and the pinch roll 45 and is finally wound around a ribbon tape winding reel of the ribbon tape winding drive shaft 42. The ribbon tape winding reel is coaxially fitted to, and supported by, the ribbon tape winding drive shaft 42.
The ribbon tape 43 fed from the ribbon tape master roll 46, while running, is lapped on a print object sheet 49 to be pinched together between the line thermal head 47 and the platen roll 48 so that printing is done onto the print object sheet 49. Numerals 50, 51 designate guide rolls guiding the running of the ribbon tape 43.
In this way, in the prior art line thermal head printer device, when seen on the plan view of FIG. 5, the line thermal head 47 and the platen roll 48 are arranged on the central position of the lower portion of the printer device and, on the upper position thereof, the ribbon tape unwinding drive shaft 41, the ribbon tape winding drive shaft 42, the feed shaft 44, the pinch roll 45, etc. are arranged. Also, a motor for rotationally driving the feed shaft 44 is arranged being fitted to the frame plate 52 on the reverse side of FIG. 5 so as to be directly connected to the feed shaft 44.
Thus, in the prior art line thermal head printer device, the ribbon tape unwinding drive shaft 41, the ribbon tape winding drive shaft 42, the feed shaft 44, the pinch roll 45, etc. are arranged to be placed on a flat plane and a relatively large flat space is required therefor. Also, the drive motor is arranged on the reverse side of these parts and components and a relatively large thickness or height of the device is required for such arrangement.
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of a prior art line thermal head printer device in which a line thermal head is of a movable type. In FIG. 6, numeral 61 designates a ribbon tape unwinding drive shaft, numeral 62 a ribbon tape winding drive shaft and numeral 64 the line thermal head of the movable type. The line thermal head 64, while moving along a head guide 65, performs printing. Numeral 66 designates a platen and numeral 71 a motor arranged on the upper position of a frame plate 72, when seen on the plan view of FIG. 6, for feeding a ribbon tape.
In the line thermal head printer device shown in FIG. 6, a ribbon tape 63 unwound from a ribbon tape master roll 69 fitted to, and supported by, the ribbon tape unwinding drive shaft 61 is guided by tape guide rolls 67, 68 to be fed toward the platen 66. Along the platen 66, the ribbon tape 63 is lapped on a print object sheet 70 so that printing is done on the print object sheet 70 by the line thermal head 64.
In this example also in which the line thermal head is of the movable type, when seen on the plan view of FIG. 6, the line thermal head 64 is arranged on the central position of the lower portion of the printer device and, on the upper position thereof, the ribbon tape unwinding drive shaft 61 and the ribbon tape winding drive shaft 62 are arranged side by side. Also, on a further upper position thereof, the motor 71 is arranged and hence a relatively large flat space is required for the arrangement of these parts and components.
Thus, in the prior art line thermal head printer devices of both of the fixed head type and the movable head type, there is a problem that the size is large and a considerable space is needed for fitting the printer device to the surrounding apparatus and hence the printer device is currently desired to be made further smaller.